look beyond your kin's name
by WyldClaw
Summary: one  night  as a kit tigerheart asks tawnypelt a question about his name . sweet one  shot.  shows tawnypelt's motherly side.  enjoy and please  read and review


Names by WildCroconaw

Summary: after I read _Outcast _(I have yet to read _Dark River_) I couldn't help thinking about little Tigerkit, Flamekit and Dawnkit, especially Tigerkit and what Tawnypelt's response would be when he asks her a question. I own nothing, except for Gingereyes and Flamefur. This takes place before Tawnypelt leaves for the mountains in _Outcast._ The kits talk sort of like little children. Warning: contains _Dark river/outcast _spoilers. Please read and review, thank you.

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"… And that's where your grandmother Goldenflower is" Tawnypelt ended pointing up at Silverpelt with her tail. her three kits, Tigerkit, Flamekit and Dawnkit were listening to her explanation of Silverpelt outside of the ShadowClan nursery one night.

"Wow!" Dawnkit blinked as she looked up at the stream of stars above their heads. "So Grammy lives up there? " the gray she cat asked her mother who smiled.

"I don't see her, Dawnkit" her brother, Flamekit told her as he also scanned the sky. "Do you see Grammy, Tigerkit?" the ginger kit asked his brother, who was also scanning the skies.

"I think that's her" The tiger-striped tortoiseshell tom flicked his tail toward a single sparkling star. "Is that Grammy, Tawnypelt? " he meowed

She nodded

Dawnkit let out a big yawn. "I wish we could see her. I wonder if she can see us"

Flamekit yawned as well. "I know sis, I wonder what she would tell us"

"Probably that its bedtime for little kits like you." came a voice from behind them. Tawnypelt and the three kits turned around. There was a big ginger tom sitting behind them.

"Daddy! Daddy! " Dawnkit, Flamekit and Tigerkit smiled at their father and then jumped on him, claws sheathed.

"Hey, I'm not an intruder! Come on you, three! Sheesh! I come back from a moonlight walk and my own kits attack me," He laughed and then turned his eyes over to his mate who was watching this with great interest. "Tawnypelt, some help here"

A white she cat had poked her head out of the nursery, chuckling at the sight. "Snowbird, help" the ginger pleaded.

"Sorry, Rowanclaw, you're on your own." She told him. "They are your kits" she went back into the nursery

He got up to his paws and his kits got off. "Shouldn't you three be in bed now?"

"Do we have to?" Flamekit asked his father.

"We're not even sleepy" Dawnkit replied and then let out another yawn. " Right, Tigerkit?" she asked her brother, who was staring at his paws.

"Huh?" he looked up. " Oh, yeah"

Tawnypelt looked over at her son and then at Rowanclaw, who knew what she was thinking. She needed sometime alone with Tigerkit. She padded over to him.

. "Dawnkit, Flamekit, why don't you two go into the nursery and I'll tell you two a story my mother used to tell me when I was kit" Rowanclaw suggested.

" Maybe it's 'bout the old forest" his daughter meowed.

"It could be about the great clans of the past," Flamekit added.

"Say good to Tawnypelt and your brother first and then I'll meet you in the nursery" the ginger tom winked at Tawnypelt.

Dawnkit went up to Tawnypelt and rubbed her pelt against her mother's leg. "Night Tawnypelt" and then turned to Tigerkit. "See you in the nursery"

Tawnypelt licked her forehead. "Goodnight sweetheart. May StarClan send you good dreams"?

Flamekit repeated Dawnkit's actions and his mother told him the same.

Tawnypelt purred happily as Rowanclaw walked up to her and licked her cheek. "Love you, Tawnypelt"

She responded back to him and he gave Tigerkit a pat on the head with his tail. "Night 'sport"

"Night daddy" he meowed and Tawnypelt and Tigerkit watched as they went into the nursery.

Tawnypelt lay down next to her littlest son. "What's the matter Tigerkit?"

He bit his lip. "N-nothing" he lied.

She sighed and looked him in the eyes. "You know that's not true, Tigerkit. Queens know when their kits are hiding something"

He looked into her eyes and took a deep breath. "Why did you name me Tigerkit? Cause I hear Russetfur and Blackstar say that-that I look so much like T-Tigerstar that I'm gonna be like him"

Tawnypelt saw this was coming. It wasn't his fault he looked so much like his murderous grandfather. 'Poor kit. If Blackstar and Russetfur weren't the ShadowClan leader and deputy I would claw their ears off' she thought.

She gave her son a little smile. "don't listen to them sweetheart. you may look like tigerstar but he's not where your name came from"

his eyes brightened, "weally mommy?"

she nuzzled him. "i swear to StarClan. you looked like you would be a tough little warrior with the spirit of a Tigerclan cat. so that's what you're named after- not your despicable grandfather but your proud ancestors who walked the earth eons ago." she beamed down at the tiny tom. "be proud of your namesake, tigerkit. your ancestors were fierce and formidable opponents- honor them by becoming the best shadowclan warrior you can be."

his amber eyes sparkled " I will, mommy. i'll make them pwoud of me. what- " he yawned loudly "what about Dawnkit and flamekit's names?"

she purred gently. "your sister is named after one of the kindest and wonderful she cats i knew- your grandmother Goldenflower because gold is a color that appears in the dawn sky. "

"do you think she would have liked me?"

Tawnypelt sighed contently. "of course she would. she loved kits. and she can see you from starclan. wave hello" she gazed up at silverpelt.

tigerkit shyly waved his tail at the night sky. "hi grammy. i wish i could have met you. can you see me" as if hearing the kit, a single star twinkled back. he purred with delight and faced his mother. "what about flamekit?"

Tawnpelt chuckled. "he's named in honor of two cats: firestar and Rowanclaw's father flamefur"

"does flamekit look like firestar?"

Tawnypelt twitched her whiskers in amusement. "i think he does- they both have red fur. but you'll have to wait until your first gathering to find out"

Tigerkit curled into his mother's paws and yawned. "What was daddy's mother's name?"

"Gingereyes."

"That's pretty. Do you think Grammy an' an' Gingereyes are looking down us from StarClan?" His mother nodded. "What do you think they're sayin' to each other "?

"Probably something along the lines of, our grandkits are so beautiful and wonderful and they are blessed to have amazing-" Tawnypelt looked down at her son. He had fallen fast asleep.

She saw Rowanclaw pad out of the nursery as she got up, carrying the sleeping tom in her mouth. She went in and put him next to Flamekit and Dawnkit.

'There is nowhere else I'd rather be right now' she thought before she fell asleep

The end.

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Author's notes: Cute, huh? I figured since Tigerkit is named after his grandfather, Blackstar and Russetfur would make comparisons to the former ShadowClan leader. It's not his fault at all. I realize that Tawnypelt might seem a bit OOC but having kits probably changed her. Please tell me what you thought about it in a review


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